Lanes used by Ride On buses at the Friendship Heights Bus Station temporarily closed on Monday, October 1 when the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) began construction on the ceiling at the bus station. Although the location of Ride On bus stops for routes 1, 11, 23, 29 and 42 are affected. Bus schedules are not expected to change.

Metro personnel are at the station to help direct riders to their stops, and Metro has posted signs to help identify temporary bus stops. Metro expects the construction at the station to take about two months. The station is open during construction, but work areas will be fenced off. Only one bus lane at a time will be closed, and Ride On will share a lane with Metrobus.

Replacement of the Brink Road Bridge over Goshen Branch Nears Completion — back
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The Department of Public Works and Transportation’s Capital Development Division began construction of a new Brink Road Bridge in September.

The new bridge was installed just east of the old bridge – built in 1930-- to avoid impacting the Goshen Branch Stream Valley Park and prevent traffic interruptions on Brink Road. About 8,200 vehicles cross the bridge each day.

The new bridge is 49-feet long, with two 11-foot lanes and four-foot shoulders. The approach roads were also improved. The total project cost just over $2 million. Funding came from federal aid and county general obligation bonds.

For more information on this and other capital construction projects, visit the Capital Development Division’s website at www.montgomerycountymd/dpwt.

Keep Montgomery Beautiful Task Force Works to Keep County Litter-Free — back
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Since the mid-1980s, Keep Montgomery County Beautiful Task Force (KMCB) has been helping educate residents and change public attitudes about littering; support cleanup and beautification projects; encourage residents to start or improve recycling programs; and raise awareness of the problems caused by graffiti. KMCB is a resident advisory group for the Department of Public Works and Transportation (DPWT). Together, they are part of the County’s effort to make the Potomac watershed trash-free by 2013.

Residents can help by putting litter, including cigarette butts, in its proper place. Many people don’t think that dropping partially-smoked cigarettes, cigarette butts, matches, lighters, and packaging to the ground is littering. But, just like a fast food wrapper or soda can, this trash can end up in the Chesapeake Bay. Cigarette litter poses a hazard to animals and marine life when they mistake filters for food. Most cigarette filters are composed of cellulose acetate, a form of plastic which does not quickly degrade. All types of litter require additional street sweeping and roadside clean ups, as well as storm drain cleaning. So, please do your part to keep Montgomery County clean and beautiful!

To learn more about KMCB or volunteer for the Adopt-A-Road litter removal program, contact DPWT’s Community Outreach Program at 240-777-7155 or by email at dpwt.outreach@montgomerycountymd.gov.

Montgomery County’s Ride On bus system increased ridership levels in September by 8.5 percent over last September. In fact, Ride On has increased ridership every month for the last 41 months. This summer, Ride On set a record – carrying 100,000 riders a day. Now, the average weekday ridership routinely exceeds this level.

Ride On has 84 routes that connect local neighborhoods to Metro stations. For information on transit options in the county, go to www.montgomerycountymd.gov/rideon or call the Transit Information Center at 240-777-7433.

DPWT’s Division of Operations, Highway Maintenance Section, will conduct its annual vacuum collection of leaves in the southern part of the county (see map below) from November 5 through mid-December. During the fall, vacuum trucks make two collections on every street. Highway Maintenance posts signs in neighborhoods a few days ahead of the collection dates. Green signs indicate the first collection, and red signs indicate the second and final collection.

The leaf vacuum collection district is bounded by I-495, I-270, the Rockville City limits, Norbeck, Bel Pre and Bonifant roads, Northwest Branch Park, and the District of Columbia and Prince George's County lines.

Leaves should be placed in piles or containers on the grass or behind the curb -- and not in the street. Placing leaves in streets or alleys can disrupt traffic and surface drainage, hamper snow removal operations, or pose a fire hazard to automobiles parked over them. Collections are restricted to leaves only. Tree debris, sticks, branches or coarse garden debris should be placed in containers or tied in bundles not more than four feet long and placed where household trash is regularly picked up. Residents who miss the two scheduled vacuum collections can still have their leaves collected by placing them in paper yard waste bags or reusable containers for pick up on their regular yard waste collection day. Green yard trim stickers for the containers are available at County public libraries, regional service centers or by calling 240-777-6410.Leaves placed in plastic bags will not be accepted.

For more information, or to determine if your home is within the boundaries of the leaf vacuum collection district, call Highway Maintenance at 240-777-6000 or go to the Department of Public Works and Transportation's website at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/dpwt.